Lock-joint panel construction



R. E. DAVIS ET AL LOCK JOINTl PANEL CONSTRUCTION Aug. 3, 194s.,

Filed July 20. 1945 Patented Aug. 3, 1948 LOCK-JOINT PANEL CONSTRUCTION Theodore E. Weber. St. Louis, Mo., assignors to Illnssmann Refrigerator Co., a corporation o! Delaware Application .lilly 2Q, 1945, Serial No. 806,240

nassen a. nava sa This inventionrelates to lock-joint sheathing constructions of the kind -wherein the covering sheets or panels have their"adlacent margins lnterlocked and rigidly secured together and to a supporting or reinforcing member. The fpresent invention has for its principal -objects to devi-se a simple and economical, strong'and-durable lockjoint panel construction of the above type that will -provide for the easy mounting and dismounting of the panels and that will include quick attachable and detachable means for sealing the joints between adjacent panels and for concealing the fasteners therefor. The inventionv consists in the lock-Joint panel construction and in the parts and combinations and arrangements of parts hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawing, which forms part of this specification and wherein like symbols refer to like parts wherever they occur,

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary perspective view of a lock-joint panel construction embodying our invention,

Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view on the line v2---2 in Fig. l.

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2 showing the cover panels before they are fully seated against the supporting member,

Fig. 4 isa fragmentary perspective view of the marginally flanged portion of one of said panels.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary longitudinal section on the line 5 5 in Fig. 3; and

Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig.y 2 illustrating a modiiled form of the invention.

Our lock-joint panel construction preferably comprises a plurality of sheet metal cover panels A and a metal supporting or reinforcing member B for the adjacent margins of said panels. The panels A have their adjacent margins ofiset rearwardly, as at i, and overlapped; and the connecting webs 2 between the flush body portions of said 'Panels and their overlapped offset margins are disposed at inwardly diverging angles to provide an undercut longitudinal'groove Sltherebetween.

The supporting or reinforcing member Bis preferably made-of channel shape with outwardly diverging or flaring side walls I that terminate in outstanding lateral side 'flanges 5. The channel B has a series of longitudinally spaced screw vholes i through the bottom or web portion 'I thereof; and .the rearwardly offset margins l oi' each of the panels A has a series of similarly spaced notches I formed therein` that extend crosswlse thereof.

The panels A are arranged side by side with Y 2 Clllml. (Cl. 18a-88) their adjacent rearwardly oilset marginall'portions I disposed' in overlapped relation within the channel B and with the notches "l of the overlapped marginal portions opposite the screw holes t in the 4bottom of said channel. AFastening screws '9 'are then inserted into the undercut groove "3 formed by the-adjacent marginal portions of the panels A and extended through registering notches! in the overlapped marginal portions i of said panels and threaded through the screw holes in web 1 of the channel B. A screw driver is then inserted into the groove 3 and the screws e tightened to clamp the body Iportions of the panels A against the outstanding side 'flanges-B of the channel B and to clamp the overlapped margins of said panels together and against the bottom 1 of said channel. During this operation of clamping the overlapped margins i -of the panels A against the bottom of the channel B, the corners formed 'by sind margins and the oblique angled webs 2 of said panels ride on the opposing faces of sa-id webs thereby drawing said panels together in a sidewise direction.

The undercut groove l formed between the connected side marginal portions of adjacent panels is closed by a sealing or filler strip il preferably of rubber. The rubber sealing strip i0 is initially of, circular cross-section and is inserted in the groove l by stretching the strip endwise to reduce its diameter so that the strip may be inser-ted sidewise into said groove. `'I'he tension on the strip is then relieved. thus permitting the strip to expand and substantially fill the groove l and cover the heads of the fastening screws l therein.l

The hereinbefore described lock-panel construction has several important advantages. It is simple and inexpensive; it permits the panels to be quickly and easily rigidly secured together and to the supporting member; it also provides neat and attractive means for sealing the joint between adjacent panels and for concealing the fastening screws therefor; and it also permitsv the panels to be readily detached from the s upporting member. `Slide play of the panels is prevented by the inclined side walls of the supporting member which function as cam surfaces for drawing the panels together sidewise.

I'he above joint ls particularly adapted for use in securing porcelain outside panelsto refrigerators from the outside. the porcelain panels operating as structural members, instead of mere decorative or covering sheets. -thereby dispensing with the outside casing heretofore required ,for supportingthe panels.

In the modified lock-joint panel construction 4 -sealing and covering stripila of sheet metal adaptedu to snap into place in the groove I formed by the cooperating marginal portions of adiacent panels. e

What we claim is:

i. A lock-joint panel construction `comp1`is"` ing a supporting channel with outstanding Vsidek marginal iianges at the edges of its side walls, panels seated against the outside faces oisaid flanges and having their adjacent marginal portions oilset rearwardly and overlapped to iorrn an outwardly opening groove, said overlapped marglnal Vportions being disposed within said channel. fasteners securing said overlapped portions together and to the bottomy of said channel and having heads seated in the bottom of said groove, and a member mounted in said groove for closing the same throughout the length thereof and for covering said heads of said fasteners, the side walls o! said channel being disposed at inwardly converging angles so as to force said panels to slide toward one another when said overlapped marginal portions are drawn by said fasteners in- 4 wardly into said channel along the inwardly converging side walls thereof.

2. The combination set forth in claim i wherein said groove has undercut sides and said groove closing and head covering member comprises a strip or rubber or the like that is initially `of substantially circular cross-section and of a diameter greater thanthe width ot the narrowest portion oi said groove and is stretched longitudinally to facilitate sidewis'e entry thereof into said groove and is adapted when the tensionl thereon is refleased to expand into engagement with the undercut sides o! said groove and substantially iill the-same."

RUSSELL E. DAVIS. THmDORE E. WEBER.

Y BEFEBENGES CITED The following references are of record `in the 

